The 2010 HOPE Award Winner Ilene Corina

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MITSS congratulates Ilene Corina, winner of the 2010 MITSS HOPE Award. The award was presented by Sanjay Malaviya, President and CEO of RL Solutions (the 2010 award sponsor), at our 9th Annual Dinner. The HOPE Award Honors Outstanding People Everywhere who have furthered the MITSS mission of supporting healing and restoring hope to patients, families, and clinicians impacted by adverse medical events. Ilene Corina has dedicated much of her life to the cause of patient safety. More than twenty years ago, she lost her precious two year old son, Michael, due to a preventable medical error. Conversely, she witnessed a “medical miracle” as another son was born prematurely at 23 weeks and received the best that medicine has to offer. He is now a healthy 16 year old. Ilene founded PULSE of New York in recognition of the growing need for support services for patients and families who have experienced medical errors and other adverse outcomes. Soon thereafter, she co-founded PULSE of America, a national umbrella group for independent state chapters using PULSE concepts. She has since added patient advocacy to her focus.Ilene was one of the first advocates in the nation to understand the importance of working within the healthcare system. She recognized early on the importance of patients working as partners with their providers. She was the first consumer member of the National Patient Safety Foundation Board of Directors. She was also the first consumer advocate board member of the Joint Commission and still serves on many committees including the Patient and Family Advisory Group of the Joint Commission International. Ilene has traveled and lectures extensively, and her work has been published in major healthcare journals.Throughout all of this, she remains a tireless, committed advocate for patients and families, making herself available to them before, during, and after the process of their care. We sat down with Ilene and asked her to reflect on her work. MITSS: What are your thoughts on winning the HOPE Award?Ilene Corina: I was thrilled to get the phone call that I won, especially because Linda Kenney is a friend and colleague. There is something special about being recognized by a peer (even though I know that MITSS staff members were not involved in the selection process). MITSS has come a long way and is a highly respected organization. To be compared with that is a real honor.

MITSS: What is the most important thing that you have learned along your journey?Ilene Corina: There are many lessons. One is that we don't travel alone. We have to leave our hearts and minds open for learning, listening, and collaborating. There is a certain maturity that I have gained over the years, and I have come to recognize it myself. Patient safety is a struggle because it is relatively new, and there are very few "rules." Many of us have learned as we’ve gone along. Being an early activist in patient safety has helped me see how far the movement has come. To witness the medical profession supporting MITSS is such a thrill for me. It gives me hope that we all really do belong at the same table.

MITSS: What do you envision for your program/work in the future?Ilene Corina: For the last few years, I have been doing what I most want to do -- helping patients and families navigate the healthcare system, training community members to be patient safety advocates, and collaborating with professionals and organizations.Now, to grow, become sustainable, and gain the necessary resources – those are the real goals. No one should be alone to navigate healthcare after being diagnosed with a life-altering illness or following an injury. Whether old or young, and no matter the culture or physical ability, there needs to be support for patients and families to become objective partners in their healthcare. And, following a bad outcome, there needs to be support services available again for patients and their family members.If you would like more information about Ilene Corina and her work, visit http://www.patientsafetyconsultants.com/ . If you would like to view the HOPE Award presentation featuring Sanjay Malaviya of RL Solutions and Ilene, click here.